Improvement in shot-cartridges



UNITED STATEs PATENT OEEIGE,

HENRY H. BARNARD, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDS HIS RIGHT TO HENRY STRONG AND HENRY S. MILLER, OF

SAME PLACE.

MPROVEMENT IN SHOT-CARTRIDGES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 212,] 70, dated February l1, 1879; application filed December 21, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY H. BARNARD, of

the city of Rochester, county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shot-Cartridges; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the completed cartridge, showing the same enveloped in paper covered with a coating of l'iarafttne to render it water-proof, and provided at the bottom with a strip of tape covering the fuse or fulminate. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing the outer covering of paper removed, and exhibiting the joint of the divided shotcase. Fig. 3 is a 'similar view, but at right angles to Fig. 2, and showing particularly the grooves in the shot-case for receiving the fuse or slowly-burning powder. Fig. 4-is a central longitudinal section. Fig. 5 is a cross-section in line .r of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of all the parts separated.

My improvement relates yto shot-cartridges that are arranged to open at a given distance by the explosion of a small quantity of powder within the cartridge itself, which is ignited by a fuse. Cartridges of this kind are already known, but in all with whichI am acquainted the shot are forcibly ejected from the shell by the explosion, and driven and scattered in all directions indiscriminately, and not held in a body to strike the pattern.

The object of my invention is simply to use the force of thevexplosion to separate and detach the parts composing the shell, and allow them to fall away `without ejectin g or dispersing the shot. ATo this end my invention consists in the construction and arrangementhereinafter more fully set forth.

The shellof the cartridge is composed of the following several. parts: a is a base piece, which is of considerable thickness, and preferably made of wood to give it lightness and to form the proper body for the attachment of the other parts. b b is the shot-case, consisting of half-sections of cylindrical form, made, preferably, of metal, and holding the shot, as shown in Fig. 4. c is a cap-piece, also prefer ably of wood, half-globular or conical inform, and forming the front end of the cartridge. The base and cap pieces are formed with iianges or shoulders d. d, and the ends of the half-sections b b (which are contracted at the f ends) are fitted therein, and thereby held in place.

To disengage the parts and release the shot, the cap-piece or the base has to be thrown off when the case falls open.

` In the narrow neck of the top of the case b b is fitted a thin wad, f, resting upon spurs or points struck in from said case, and also resting on top of the shot. On top of this wad and beneath the cap c is a very small quantity of gunpowder or other explosive material, a few grains only being required.

In one or both sides ot' the case I) b and the base a is formed a groove, y, and through the base a perforation, y', communicating there with, is carried down to the extreme bottom, as shown in Fig. 4. In this groove and passage rests a slowly-burning fuse, It, which passes up outside the case, and is carried under the orifice of the bottom of the base c. .This cap contains ordinary gunpowder or other ex plosive material, which comes in contact with the lower endof fuse h. A small perforation is made in the base of cap z', so that at the discharge of the gun the powder in said cap is exploded, the fuse is set on re, and, at the end of the given range, said fuse explodes the Apowder on top of wad f and blows off cappiece c and releases the shot from the shell.

Instead of the cap i, iilled with powder, al fuse or a fulminate may be used.

7c is a wad fitting upon a projection, Z, of the breech-loadin g or muzzle-loading gun.

base-piece, for the purpose of filling the bore 0f the gun when the cartridge is applied.. The wad has a central hole, which allows the cap t' to project through.

The cartridge thus constructedl is covered with a layer of paper, m, which is wrapped around and stuck to it by some adhesive material. The paper is slitted, either before or after it is applied, so that the slits shall correspond with the joints between the sections b b of' Jthe case, as'shown at o', but holding above and below, by which means the parts are all held together. A small strip, n, of tape or equivalent material is also placed across the bottom of the cartridge, covering the cap i and projecting` up on one or both sides ofthe cartridge, to form a nger-hold, and over this tape, and covering the bottom of the cartridge, is pasted another piece of paper, o. The cartridge is then dipped in melted paraftine wax, which coats it with a thin ilm, and renders it perfectly water-proof.

This cartridge may bc used either in a In inserting it in the gun, the tape a is first torn off, which exposes the powder or the fuse in the cap t'. At the discharge of the gun the powder or the fuse is ignited, and whenthe proper range is attained the cap-piece c is blown off, the case divides and falls away, and the released shot pass ina body directly to the target, scattering only sufficiently to make a good pattern. v

It is the prime object of this invention to separate the shell from the shot withv theleast possible disturbance ofthe latter, and allow the shell to drop oft' and away from the s'hot without dispersing the latter-5 hence the explosive power in the cartridge is so graded and applied as simply to break or disconnect i the part which binds the cartridge together,

allowing the latter to simply .drop oft by the action of the wind.

Where the explosive power is used to violently burst the shell, as in the old form of cartridge, the shot are also scattered in all directions by the explosion.

I do not wish to confine myself to the precise form of disconnecting the cartridge above described.

Instead of throwing off the cap-piece, the explosion may throw off the base, or it may detach a plug, break a cord, or otherwise disconnect a part which holds the cartridge together, thereby releasing the shell and allowlowing it to sepa-rate from the shot.

The base-piece a, by being made thick and light, as described, serves to lighten the rear of the cartridge and insure its proper direction; also, forms a body for the attachment of the fuse h; and, furthermore, it forms a solid surface to resist the explosion in the gun, and therefore'has a tendency to prevent recoil. y

The paper covering of the cartridge holds I the cartridge together, as before described,

and by being slitted to coincide with the' joints of the case?) b allows the latter to separate when the explosion takes place, being, therefore, of special application to this cartridge.

The different ranges at which the cartridges will open may be graded either by using fuses or powders of different rapidities of burning, or by making a fuse or powder one portion of the length of which is quick-burning and the other portion slow-burning, and ing said lengths to the requirements ofthe case.

In this cartridge any desired length of range up to several hundred yards may be attained without trouble.

v Instead of the paper covering, before described, felt or cloth might be used. This covering serves also to protect the gun-barrel from contact with `the metal of the shell.

The shot-case b b, instead of being divided longitudinally, as shown, may be divided any other way-which will insure its separating from the shot when the explosion occurs.

l. In a shotcartridge, the combination, with the divided shot-case b b, held together by the cap c,.or its/equivalent, of an eXplosive inaterial applied within the cartridge, and a fuse leading from said explosive material to thebase of the cartridge to be ignited .by the discharge in the gun, the whole arranged so that, at the end yof the given range, the discharge ofthe explosive material in the cartridge will detach or remove the cap, or equivalent, and allow the shotcase to open and fall away from the shot, as specified.l

2. In a shot-cartridge, the combination of the cap-piece c, divided shot-case 1)' b, and base-piece a, the said cap and base pieces being provided with inclosing-flanges'd d, and the ends of the shot-case resting within said flanges-,the whole arranged as described, so that on the detachment of either thecap'piece or base-piece the shot-case will separate, as and `forthe purpose specified. i

3. In a shot-cartridge, the combination of the kcap-piece c, divided shot-easel) b, basepiece e, andy afuse, h, leading from the base of the cartridge to an explosive material placed within andiin contact with the cappiece, as shown'and 4described, and for the purpose specified. 4. In a` shot-cartridge, the combination, with the cap-piece c and divided shot-case I) b, of a wad, f, resting beneath or within the cappiece, and charged with an explosivejcompound for discharging said cap-piece'froin the shot-ease,l asy herein shown and' described.

5. In 'a shotcartridge, the` combination, -with the shot-case bb, of the paper or equivalent wrapping m, provided with slits rr coincidin g with the division-jointsof the shot-case, the ends of said wrapping being integral and 1n witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

HENRY H. BARNARD.

Witnesses:

R. F. OsGooD, R. E. WHITE. 

